The early blogs were weblogs – logs of links, interesting links from around the web. A famous example of such was Jorn Barger‘s weblog. I never really followed many of those sorts of blogs. Having said that, I have been a subscriber of Danny Yee’s blog, Pathologically Polymathic, for some years now. I enjoy his book reviews and travelogues. I also like the fact that his blog has an old school, traditional – as much as anything web can be traditional – feel to it.
This blog has never really been a link log. Over the years I may have occasionally blogged about things that interested me, including stuff from around the web, but I have never actively looked to compile links of lists.
These days I get most of my links via Twitter. I am quite picky about the people or organisations I follow – and don’t follow all that many: 744 at present. I do find that I get a lot of very interesting stuff from these 744.
How did I learn new things in the days pre-Internet? I do wish I could remember what I did. I’m sure I would have read things – magazines, perhaps? I have never been an avid reader of newspapers, and certainly don’t read them actively now, even online.
Interesting things today, for example:
Why e-books will soon be obsolete (and no, it’s not just because of DRM)
A Stylist Sequel for Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos
On the right side of the ‘digital divide’. This article by Dr. Inger Mewburn, who also tweets as @thesiswhisperer.
So much happening out there! I don’t know that I keep track of all these articles very well though… I certainly don’t keep links and references in a single spot.
What do you do to learn? How do you keep track of things?
** This post inspired by my friend and colleague Jo.
One Comment
But you did have a delicious account, yes? I switched to Pinboard, then they changed their minds about closing Delicious down. So.
And yes, the whole blogging thing has got bigger and smaller all at once, hasn’t it. A lot more blogs, but fewer people to read and comment on them. I think.